French's International Copyrighted (in England, her Colonies, and 
the United States) Edition of the Works of the Best Authors 



No. 294. 



2ps635 i,YOT-CHE-KA 

SK2173 
Copy 1 

Bn ITnDfan pla^ in Qnc Bet 



BY 

HELEN P. KANE 



Copyright, 1914, by Samuel French 



Amateurs can produce this play without permission. All other 
rights are reserved by the publisher. 

The music used in this play is from the collection of Indian music 
by Miss Aiiics FiiETOHER. 

This play was criticised when written by Francis La FiiESCHE, 
of the Omaha Tribe. 



PRICE 25 CENTS 



New York 
SAMUEL FRENCH 

PUBLISHER 

28-30 WEST 38th STREET 



London 

SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd. 

26 Southampton Street 

STRAND 



THE FORTUNE HUNTER. 

A Charming Comedy in four acts, by Wlnchell Smith. The cast calls 
for seventeen males and three femules, but by doubling a number of the 
small male parts it can be played by eleven males and three females. 
Three interior and one exterior scenes. Costumes modern. Plays 2\ 
hours. 

It is upon the advice and capital of his friends that Nat Duncan, the 
young fortune banter, decides lo embark upon a wife-hunting expedi- 
tion. The schema is to go to a small town and live very quietly for one 
year. The theory upon which the pursuit Is conducted is that in a 
small town there is at least one girl who has a fortune. All the young 
men who are worth while move away to larger cities tomaice their 
fortunes, but the poor girls have to remain behind, and those who are 
really above the average are forced to remain single, because they will 
not marry the riff-raff which remains, according to the theorists. This 
leaves Duncan with a clear field in any town which he selects. 

Duncan's experiences prove the theory. The village banker's daugh- 
ter really falls in love with him, and in accordance with expectations, 
it is actually she who proposes before the end of the year. But there is 
no such sordid end to the tale. It has been a part of the program that 
Nat should work during his 5'ear of residence in the village. He has 
found that work is really interesting, and brings its own rewards. He 
has become a successful business man while endeavoring to win an easy 
fortune, and at the same time he has found the girl who can make him 
happy, and its does not happen to be the girl witli the fortune. 

It is a charming, wholesome story, touched with tender humor and 
filled with Quaint philosophy, with just the sort of love interest that 
makes one glad to know about, because it is both pure and sincere. 

•' The Fortune Hunter" is one of the most successful comedies pi*o- 
duced in New York in the last decade. It had a most phenomenal run 
and is still on tour. Price, 50 cents. 

PEACEFUL VALLEY. 

A comedy In three acts, by Edward E. Kidder. 7 males, 4 females. 

This wonderful play, known all over the United States and Canada, 
had just attained its majority and is a classic of its kind. It made the 
fame of its author, Edward E. Kidder, and was largely responsible for 
the great success of the late lovable Sol Smith Russel. who created the 
part of Hosea Howe. It has been performed over five thousand times 
and is still in great demand. ' Peaceful Valley " is a sweet idyl of the 
heart with three charming love stories twined about it, and throbs with 
humanity, bubbles with fun. and thrills with pathos- The " human 
touches " that round out the history of the brave, awkward, tender- 
hearted young fellow, who waited on the table of a summer hotel to 
earn the money to send him through college, his love for his mother, 
" who has the whole of " Peaceful Valley on her mind," his adoration 
for the daughter of the New York millionaire, his flashes of awkward 
wit, his righteous wrath against wrongdoers, all make up a complex and 
marvelous character. Ten other quaint, hateful or lovable people are 
in the play; comic, serious, detestable, pitiable, and fine. There are 
over two hours of intense enjoyment and the play is clean and uplift- 
ing. Not a character In it is unworthy of being played, and all the 
parts are good. In the shadowed stage of to-day "Peaceful > alley 
shines out a beacon light ! 

The play particularly appeals to college men and college women. 
The characters are so simple that they are easily played by amateurs. 
Price, 50 cents. 



These plays are subject to royalty when produced. 
Our 124 Page Catalogue Sent Free on Application. 



YOT-CHE-KA 



Bit f nDlan pUg in Qnc »ct 



BY 
HELEN P. KANE 



Copyright, 1914, by Samuel French 



Amateurs can produce this play without permission. All other 
rights are reserved by the publisher. 

The music used in this play is from the colleclioii of Indian music 
by Miss Alick FiiETCHER. 

This play was criticised when written by Francis La Flesche, 
of the Omaha Tribe. 



New York I London 

SAMUEL FRENCH ' SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd., 
publisher j 26 Southampton Street 

2«-30 WEST 38th Street STRAND 






^ 



\s^i7 



DEC klaii 

©CI.D 39075 



YOT-CHE-KA 



CHAEACTERS. 

YoT-CHE-KA The Eriga 

OWERA 1 

Otshata ?- Oneida boys 

OSARE J 

ToiKA. (Oneida) adopted mother of Yot-che-ka 

Scene: — Woodland outside the tent of Toika. 

Properties : — Bows and arrows — loom, with hianl-et 
— Fox — Grape-vine — Grinding -stone, and howl 
of corn — ivater-vessel. 

Costumes : — Tunics of skin, and moccasins. 

Time: — \^th century. After the annihilation of the 
Eriga (Erie) tribe. 



YOT-CHE-KA 



Scene: — Outside tent of Toika. Tent with open en- 
trance L. front. Loom with partly woven blan- 
ket beside entrance. Background of trees. Pres- 
ent, ToiKA seated on ground, weaving, and 
YoTCiiEKA, R. centre, with bows and arrows, 
shooiing. 



TOIKA. 



Toika. 

mm 



- ! ^i 



(sings) 

Weaving-Song. 



S 



:fe 



^~- 



:?ziv: 



^^m 



Red for the glow of the morn - ing: Gleaming thro' 



i^ 




Bars of blue: Check 'd with white, Like the light, Shimmering thro'. 



^^^ 



g 



^m 



YoT. {running to pick up his arrow) He! that 
was a shot! — T cut of¥ a leaf! — Did you watch me, 
Little Mother? 

Toika. (laughing) Watch /yoi^/ — I was watching 



6 YOT-CHE-KA. 

your new blanket. — Do you think one weaves with 
wandering eyes ? 

YoT. (coming over) Hi! Is that my blanket! — ■ 
Wait till I fold it around me — (strutting as if hold- 
ing a blanket) Not a boy in the tribe will be so fine ! 
That is fine enough for Chief of the Erigas. 

ToiKA. (putting her finger warningly on her lips) 
S — sh! There are no Erigas here, my Son. 

YoT. (stuhhornly) I am one — I can remem- 
ber 

ToiKA. (interrupting) S-sh ! — You remember 
nothing. There is nothing to remember. 

YoT. (insisting) But I do, I tell you ! — I remem- 
ber when they called me — 

ToiKA. (quichly) They call you, Yotcheka, Son 
of Fire, and you belong to the Oneida. 

YoT. But when I was of the Nation of the Eri- 



ToiKA. (interrupting) There is no such thing 
as the Nation of the Erigas. How could you belong 
to that which is not. 

Yotcheka. But I 

(Enter Oweka — Otshata — and Osare, running in 
and dragging a long grape-vine.) 

OwERA. He! — Yotcheka! — We want one more. 
Pull— pull for Chief ! 

(Yotcheka runs and catches the vine,) 

YoT. Ho ! — Who pulls with me ? 
Otshata. I do ! — You and I against Osare and 
Owera. Here's the line: (marks on ground) Now? 

(They take sides, and sway back and forth tvhile they 
sing the Game Song, then begin to tug, pulling 
each other all about the stage, each pair trying to 
pull the other across the line; and laughing and 



YOT-CHE-KA. 7 

shouting as they gain the advantage. Toika 
watches, clapping in time as they sing, and sing- 
ing the accompanying syllables.) 



Game-song — Boys- 



Game-Song, 

Chorus of Boys and Toika. 

Boys- Pull! The strong - er He - 

Toika— Ha-ha - ha- ha - ha-ha - ha-ha - Dhe. . 



I - he ! 

he Dhe ! 




^m 



. Toika. (clapping) 

(YoTCHEKA and Otstiata fit/aJIy pull the other two 
over the line, and the hoys all fall together in a 
scramble, laughing.) 

YoT. (springing up) HE! — the Eriga ! — The 
Eriga has it ! 

(llie boys all rise in a sudden silence, whisper in a 
knot for a moment, then separate, and silently 
run off. Toika enters the tent.) 



YoT. (alone, looks about heivildered, then stamps 



8 YOT-CHE-IvA- 

his foot) It is always so ! — (calls) Little Mother ! — 
Little Mother ! 

ToiKA. (within the tent) I hear. 

YoT. I want you, Little Mother. — Come out ! 

ToiKA. (coming to entrance) Well — What does 
my Son want? *^-» * ^ - • 

YoT. (angrily) What does it mean? •** * • ' •*•. 

ToiKA. (teasingly) He! — You are angt-y — 
Why? — Has anyone been unkind? 

YoT. (puzzled and hesitating) N — na- 

ToiKA. (laughing) Then why be angry? (re- 
enters tent) _^,^ -.^y 

YoT. (sitting down suddenly) I remember— 
(pauses) Do I remember? — They all tell me I do 
not remember — (puzzled. Cuts slowly on his airow) 

(ToiKA comes out with dish of corn, pours it on 
grinding -stone, l. centre, and begins grinding it.) 

ToiKA. (sings) 

Grinding-Songf* 

Toika. 



^^^^#*«p 



Green and fair, - he ! Shone his hair: -he! Mon-da-min! 
Grains of gold, - he! Ground and rolled: 0-he ! Mon- da - min! 



:a. 



Bring me fresh water from the spring, 'Chek^ 

(YoTCHEKA gets water-vessel from the tent, and 
runs out e.) 

ToiKA. (sings) 

Grains of gold — Ohe! 
Ground and rolled — Ohe! 
Mon-da-min ! 
'{re-enter Yotcheka setting vessel down beside her) 



YOT-CHE-KA. 9 

Take it in for me, .'('h^k^, and build up the fire. It 
is time this sh3uld*be t;o.Qked if we are to have supper 
ready when the Fatner comes, {rises and starts to- 
ward tent with dish) 

YoT. (detaining her) No — no — Don*t go 
yet ! — Wait — tell me — do I remember ? 

ToiKA. (laugliing) We all remember. 

YoT. {eagerly)^' lA^iQw, Little Mother, I remem- 
ber how" we slept at night with the fires burning, and 
the warriors armed 

ToiKA. (raising her hand) S — sh ! — You must 
not! (sets down dish, and puts her arm about 
Yotcheka) 

YoT. No — no — listen ! — ^I remember^ how all day 
we went fast and faster along the shore of the great 
lake; — and how the arrows flew; — and how every 
night the camp was smaller, and the warriors 
fewer 

ToiKA. (interrupting) Hush, my Son, — you 
dreamed ! 

YoT. (eagerly) Did I dream we were on an 
island, with the waters all about us full of canoes; 
and the arrows flying faster and faster; and the 
braves falling everywhere — Did I dream the many 
— many strange warriors, climbing, and leaping, and 
rushing all over the island? — (Toika puts her hands 
over 'her ears, and Yotcheka pulls them down and 
holds them) Did I dream I was Son of the Erigas? — 
Little Mother, you know I did not dream ! — Why must 
I not remember? 

ToiKA. It is forbidden. 

Yotcheka. (fiercely) Why? — The Erigas were 
brave ! — 

Toika. (sitting down, and drawing Yotcheka he- 
side her) Listen, my Son, I will tell you all I know 
— tell you all I heard Kuraghkwa say the night he 
brought you to the lodge. 

Yot. (releasing liimself excitedly) No! I must 
stand ! Now ! 



10 YOT-CHE-KA. 

ToiKA. There was a woman — she has no name — 
of the Tribe which is forgotten 

YoT. The Erie! 

ToiKA. {I'epeating with emphasis) Which is for- 
gotten ! She (lid a strange and terrible thing. She 
was Keeper of the House of Peace- 



YoT. (interrupting) She was called- 



ToiKA. (^interrupting him) She is called Noth- 
ing ! A man came to her for safety, and she betrayed 
him. For this, her Tribe was destroyed. And it was 
decreed 

YoT. (interrupting) What is " decreed ? " 

ToiKA. " Decreed " is that which the Chiefs say 
when they sit in council. — It was decreed that it was 
forbidden to the Five Tribes to remember 

YoT. (leaping up) But I am not of the Y'we 
Tribes ! I am of the Erigas ! — And I cannot for- 
get • 

(Cries outside — " Ohe! " — '' Ho! " — '' Ohe! " — 
Enter Otshata and Oweea, with bows and 
arrows, peering among the trees, and shooting as 
they run.) 

Otshata. Hi ! There he is ! 

OwEEA. Ho ! — I see him ! 

Otshata. Hi ! — There he goes again ! — I thought 
I had him ! 

YoT. (excitedly, fiU'fig his arrow to his how) 
Where is he? — What is he? — 

Otshata. (shooting) A little fox — See — there 
he goes ! 

OwERA. (shooting) We'll have him ! — Don't let 
him get away 1 

YoT. (shooting) Getaway! — HO! (derisively) 
From a Son of tha Archers? — 

(NOTE — The Erigas were also hnown a.s the 
" Nation of the Archers.'') 



YOT-CHE-KA. 



11 



Otshata. (excitedly) He's wounded !— See 
him! — (runs out R. shooting) 

OwERA. (shooting) He can't go far! — (runs out 
with Yotcheka) 

ToiKA. (standing l. centre, and tvatching, laugh- 
ing) Yotcheka has it! — I knew he would! 

(OsARE runs in L. as the others return R. all talking 
together^ Yotcheka carrying the fox.) 

Otshata. I hit him ! 

Owera. Fie couldn't get away from us ! 

YoT. He was a sly one ! 

Osare. Hi ! — What a tail ! Who will wear it ? 

Boys, (altogether) I did ! — I saw him first ! — 
It was my arrow hit him ! — etc. 

ToiKA. (touching arrow in the fox) This did 
it. — You each shot this arrow ? — What clever hoys ! 

Otshata. (examining it) I am sure it was my 
arrow hit him ! Arrows are all alike. 

Owera. (emphatically) I A-7?otf it was mine! 

ToiKA. I am glad you are sure ! — There is a mark 
on the arrow, (laughs) 

Osare. (examining arrow more closely) I see — 
It is a — (stops confused) 

Otshata. (taking arrow) Let me see! — A — 
(also stops) 1 dare not say it! — 

Yot. (laughing and lifting the fox exultingly) 
I dare! — It is the Cat of the Erigas! 

Yot. (sings) 



Yotcheka. 



Song of Triumph* 



He - he! Twangs the bow-string! S\\iftthe ar-row on 
He-hel Leap-ing,laugh-ing, Swoops th' Eri-ga on 

J 



Its way! 
his prey! 



12 



YOT-CHE-KA. 



(Sudden silence. The boys all look as if something 
dreadful might happen, and they have drawn 
away from Yotcheka, as if ready to run. 
ToiKA stands L. Suddenly she laughs and claps 
her hands, and the hoys draw long breaths and 
begin to look relieved though still dubious.) 



ToiKA. {laughing) The Chiefs ma}^ make a 
decree, but an Indian cannot forget! — The Eriga 
must be Eriga still ! — Give him the honors, boys, he 
won them fairly. — He has the right to remember. 



(The boys all laugh and leap round Yotciieka, who 
stands centre, holding the fox, and each boy as he 
passes him, gives him an arroiv. He holds the 
sheaf of arrows in his hand, and lifting it high 
sings again his song of triumph, the boys singing 
with him, as they leap around him, Toika stand- 
ing L. and clapping time.) 

YOTCHEKA AND THE BOYS 



Yotcheka. 



Song of Triumph. 



Fgg^E^^rg^^^Eg 



J I h 



^Nl 



' — ^^ 

He - he! Twangs the bow-string! Swift the ar-row on its way! 
He -he! Leap-ing,laugh-ing, Swoops th' Eri-ga on hisprey! 

I n r^-^ ■ H-- l-n 



12^^-: 



^mi^m- 



r 



tp=S:-? 



CUIiTAIX. 



HER LORD AND MASTER. 

A Comedy in Three Acts, by Martha Morion. Six lualos, five females. 
Costumes modem. One interior and one exterior scene. I'Iua s a full 
evening. 

Miss Morton has furnished the statre with some very entertriinini'- 
comedies, and this is one of her best . The plot concerns the n)arriatrf 
of an American pirl to an Entflish Viscount. In the original prochu;- 
tion Miss Effie Shannon played the erlrl and Mr. Herbert Kelcey played 
the Viscount. Price, 50 cents. 

A BACHELOR'S ROMANCE. 

A Comedy in Four Acts, by Martha Morton. Seven males, four 
females. Costumes modern. Three interior scenes. 1*1 ays a full 
eveninff. 

This is the celebrated comedy produced by Mr. Sol Smith Kussell for 
so many years with great success. Mr. Russell played the parlof David 
Holmes, a quaint, odd character. He Is a bachelor, country editor and 
literary critic, so absorbed in his work that the outside world has little 
interest for him. In fact, he has even overlooked the circumstance 
that his ward, Sylvia, who lives with a maiden aunt, has ouig^rown 
childhood, and he still sends her dolls and other toys as presents. 

When, however, this oversight is made clear to him by the arrival of 
the young woman herself a change comes over his life. The critical 
sanctum grows too narrow for him and his interest in her leads him out 
into the world. And now the man who has lived in a world of the mind 
learns that there is a world of the heart, for he comes to regard his 
charming ward with feelings more tender than those of fatherly inter- 
est. But his sense of honor forbids him to disclose these. Nor does he 
imagine for a nioment that she, charming girl, could become int< rested 
in him, a crusty old bachelor. At last, however, an attempt on his 
part to arrange a suitable marriage for her leads to the disclosure that 
she loves him. Miss Annie Russell played Sylvia in the orifctinal New 
York production. Price, 50 cents. 



NIOBE. 



A Fantastic Comedy in Three Acts. Fivft males, seven females. The 
comedy by Harry and Edward Paulton is peculiarly suited to the u.«te 
of schools and colleges, containing as it does much humor, only fully 
appreciated by those in tlie course of their classical studies. The play 
bristles with allusions mythological and historical, which only serve to 
set off the excessive modernity of the work as a whole. 

The story concerns itself with the revivification of the slatueof Niobe. 
who was turned into stone by Phoebus and Artemis, who wearied of her 
incessant teavs for lier lost children. The statue is in the keeping of 
Peter A irfbs Dunn, an Insurance broker, and comes to life while his 
family are at the theatre seeing Pygmalion and Galatea. 

Hopeless of convincing his wife of tlie truth of the story of the statue's 
animation, he introduces Niobe as the new governess they are expetn- 
ing and the situation thus setup is the beginning of many perplexities 
and endless laughter. Niobe is what is known as a suie-fire laugh pro- 
ducer and contains many good almost self-acting parts — that of Niol)e 
being especially effective with its combination of cuieenly majesty and 
naivete In the midst of her modern surroundings. Price. 50 cents. 

THE SUPERIOR MISS PELLENDER. 

An original comedy in three acts, by Sidney Bowketl. 2 males. 4 
females. Costumes modern. I exterior, ] interior scene. Time, 2 
hours. 

A gentle, amiable widow-mother is Mrs. Pellender. Each member of 
her family is strongly characteristic. Edith, a malade imaginalie; 
Nancy, a tom-boy; Noel, a mischievous youth: and the superior Mi>-s 
Pellender, as crisp as a biscuit, sharp as a knife, and the terror of the 
family. The mother falls in love with a diffident gentleman named 
Tister. but to break the news to her unsparing child she feels the great- 
est reluctance. She and her fiance are quite unable to muster sufficient 
courage to " confess," and, in ultimate desperation, they elope, leaving 
a note behind explaining. 

This is a clever, high-class comedy, particularly suited to production 
by girls' schools and colleges, and it should prove a great success wher- 
ever produced. It was originally produced at The Playhouse. London, 
With Mr. Cyril Maude in the role of Mr. Tister. Price, 50 cents. 

These plays are subject to royalt.v wb^n produced. 
Our 124 Page Catalogue Sent Free on ApplU'ation. 



JUST PUBLISHED 

"STRONGHEART" 

WILLIAM C. de MILLE'S GREAT AMERICAN COMEDY DRAMA 

tin jfouc Bets 



The story of " STRONGHEART. " is that of an Indian, named Strong- 
heart; tiie son of a chief, who lias been sent by his tribe to Carlysle, and 
then to Columbia, that he may i-eturn and impart the wisdom of the East. 
Strong-heart takes a thoroug-h course in football, and when he arrives at 
Columbia he is a crack halfback of the Morningrside team. 

The first act is laid in the rooms of Frank Nelson and Dick Livingston, 
also members of the team, Thorne, of the team, is jealous of Livingston. 
In order to plung-e the latter into debt, he has wagered with him $3000 on 
the result of the approaching contest, and then plots to lose the game for 
his own eleven, by sending a list of signals to the rival team. 

Act II is played in the teams' dressing room. Between halves the treach- 
ery is discovered. Strongheart is placed under suspicion and dismissed 
from his team. 

Victory follows, nevertheless, and the curtain falls on a scene of rejoicing. 

The next two acts are devoted more to the love interest in the play. 
Strongheart declares his love for Dorothy Nelson, the captain's sister, and 
learns that while she loves him in return, the prejudice of her family and 
friends give emphatic objections to the marriage. 

Thorne is exposed as the traitor who divulged the signals and just as 
Dorothy aiid Strongheart have decided to marry despite family prejudices, 
a member of his tribe enters and announces the death of the young man's 
father. 

Black Eagle, the messenger, demands that Strongheart return, assume 
the honor of chief, and discharge his debt to the tribe for the education 
they have given him. 

Wavering between love and duty, Strongheart finally promises to throw 
aside his love and return to his people. 

CRITICISMS 

HERALD-NEW YORK. 

" Strongheart" is a good, strong American play. • 

PRESS-NEW YORK. 

Than *' Strongheart" no more satisfying entertainment has been 
vouchsafed lo us so far this year. 

EVENING SUN-NEW YORK. 

"Strongheart " has dramatic qualities which are startling and 
true. 

LIFE-NEW YORK. 

There is a delightful atmosphere about " Strongheart." 

HERALD-BOSTON, MASS. 

" Strongheart " is one of the greatest American plays ever written 

*' Strongheart" was played for three seasons by Robert Edeson, and for 
one season each by Ralph Stuart and Edgar Selwyn. The fact that 
almost all the characters are college boys and girls, makes the pre- 
vailing spirit of the play orie of youth, and renders it particularly 
suitable to the needs of Amateur Dramatic Clubs and Organization* 

The CaB< ia 17 malea and 5 females. Pla^a a lull eveninA. 



PRICE 50 CENTS, 



Thi- play i, .ubieot to royalty when LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




017 400 002 5 



